Challenge L Series
2501
200mHz processors (And I have access to MORE CPUs , which if I read write
this thing can hold 12!) , 256 megs of ram and 4x 2.1 or 4.3gig SCSI
drives. The problem is that I cannot access this system in anyway?! I looked
for a monitor port but it doesn't seem to have one? Am I missing something
here? , The system goes through post fine (It does display the diagnostics
on the LCD display and I think all the CPU's fire up.) But I don't think it
has an OS on it. I maybe able to get media for it so this is not a huge
problem. I was hoping the SGI experts here can help me get this up and
running.
BTW I also have a tape drive and a CD-Rom for it.
TIA
Scott Henry
2> I was able to get my hands on a SGI Challenge L series server, It
2> has 4x 200mHz processors (And I have access to MORE CPUs , which
2> if I read write this thing can hold 12!) , 256 megs of ram and 4x
2> 2.1 or 4.3gig SCSI drives. The problem is that I cannot access
2> this system in anyway?! I looked for a monitor port but it
2> doesn't seem to have one? Am I missing something here?
This is a server. It has no graphics. You need to connect a serial
terminal to the first serial port to get the console. It defaults to
9600/8N1. You can use a terminal program on a PC with a null-modem
cable. I don't remember which style serial ports the Chal/L has, but
you can check on <URL:http://techpubs.sgi.com/>.
--
Scott Henry <sco...@sgi.com> / Help! My disclaimer is missing!
IRIX/Linux MTS, / http://reality.sgi.com/scotth/
Silicon Graphics, Inc / SGI-One step ahead
David Evans
In article <wUJb6.5600$Tl3.2...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>,
2501 <jimpr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>The problem is that I cannot access this system in anyway?! I looked
>for a monitor port but it doesn't seem to have one? Am I missing something
>here?
Nope. The Challenge L is a server machine: you talk to it over the network
or through a serial port.
They're nice machines; I've futzed with my girlfriend's Challenge XL a
few times and it's still a pretty useful box.
--
David Evans (NeXTMail/MIME OK) dfe...@bbcr.uwaterloo.ca
PhD Student, Computer/Synth Junkie http://bbcr.uwaterloo.ca/~dfevans/
University of Waterloo "Default is the value selected by the composer
Ontario, Canada overridden by your command." - Roland TR-707 Manual
Jim Price
Ok that makes sense. I will try that!
Thanks
Ben Cannon (on hey)
Lucky devil :)P
Best!
Ben.
David Evans wrote:
--
Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives
-Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"
Ben Cannon
Lead Artist.
Dream With Your Eyes Wide Open, Inc.
- Visual - Innovative - Provocative -
B...@dreamwithyoureyeswideopen.com
http://www.dreamwithyoureyeswideopen.com
--
Scott Elyard
> I was able to get my hands on a SGI Challenge L series server, It has 4x
> 200mHz processors (And I have access to MORE CPUs , which if I read write
> this thing can hold 12!),
12 R10k, don't know about R4400, but I would assume the same.
> 256 megs of ram and 4x 2.1 or 4.3gig SCSI
> drives. The problem is that I cannot access this system in anyway?!
Hah?
> I looked
> for a monitor port but it doesn't seem to have one?
Why would a server need a monitor? Use a dumb terminal, serial port 1,
9600 bps &c &c &c.
> Am I missing something
> here?
You mean like your car keys?
>, The system goes through post fine (It does display the diagnostics
> on the LCD display and I think all the CPU's fire up.)
I would think "fire up" would be a bad term to describe functioning CPUs.
(And yet the Inteloid marketing juggernaut proves me wrong).
> But I don't think it
> has an OS on it. I maybe able to get media for it so this is not a huge
> problem. I was hoping the SGI experts here can help me get this up and
> running.
>
>
> BTW I also have a tape drive and a CD-Rom for it.
--
.oO=-"The picture of a faithful alligator boundin' into-=Oo.
| daddy's lap ain't one the public is ready for." |
| --Walt Kelly (Beauregard) |
| Comic: www.oscarquillandcoyle.org |
`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
cosmos
>>>>>> "2" == 2501 <jimpr...@hotmail.com> writes:
> 2> I was able to get my hands on a SGI Challenge L series server, It
> 2> has 4x 200mHz processors (And I have access to MORE CPUs , which
> 2> if I read write this thing can hold 12!) , 256 megs of ram and 4x
> 2> 2.1 or 4.3gig SCSI drives. The problem is that I cannot access
> 2> this system in anyway?! I looked for a monitor port but it
> 2> doesn't seem to have one? Am I missing something here?
> This is a server. It has no graphics. You need to connect a serial
> terminal to the first serial port to get the console. It defaults to
> 9600/8N1. You can use a terminal program on a PC with a null-modem
> cable. I don't remember which style serial ports the Chal/L has, but
> you can check on <URL:http://techpubs.sgi.com/>.
his may have no graphics but my challenge L sure does... extreme to be exact. im not sure
what the marketing term or model is but i thought it was something like "extreme visualization"
or somesuch.
in any cases it makes installs easier but is pretty useless other than that.
cheers.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=
cosmos
at
hepcat.org
=-=-=-=-=-=
tom_...@my-deja.com
In article <wUJb6.5600$Tl3.2...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>,
"2501" <jimpr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I was able to get my hands on a SGI Challenge L series server,
> The problem is that I cannot access this system in anyway?!
You'll need a serial cable, hooked to a terminal doing 8N, 9600.
A PC with Kermit works fine.
Pinouts for the Challenge serial port are at
techpubs.sgi.com
Look up:
Deskside POWER CHALLENGE and CHALLENGE L Owner's Guide
Search for 'serial'.
You want to look at the 'unpowered RS-232 port' specs.
Or just search for 'man serial' to get the ASCII picture.
I think we've only got 2 or 3 pins connected on our cable, so you
should be able to get away with a pretty simple configuration.
>The system goes through post fine (It does display the
>diagnostics
> on the LCD display and I think all the CPU's fire up.)
CPU's fire up? Nope, that's the power supply:
http://www.sgi.com/support/fco_pwr_supply/index.html
Tom H.
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
Ivan Rayner
> Newsgroups trimmed.
>
> In article <wUJb6.5600$Tl3.2...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>,
> "2501" <jimpr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I was able to get my hands on a SGI Challenge L series server,
> > The problem is that I cannot access this system in anyway?!
Might be a chicken-and-egg problem here... :)
Ivan
--
Ivan Rayner
iv...@melbourne.sgi.com
Simon Pigot
Agreed - mine has Extreme gfx as well. An interesting aspect is that the GCAM (which is the
VCAM plus extras to support the Extreme gfx option in one of the VME slots) has a strange
connector on the front of it - I assume this is a flat cable interface/interconnect and could be
used to drive a remote VCAM+VME bus in the optional cardcage on the Challenge XL or a parallel
HIPPI board? If this is an FCI connector is it there because the Extreme gfx option needs a
separate FCI to the one on the IO4 that is used for the VME bus. I suppose the other (possibly
spare?) FCI bus on the IO4 does nothing in a challenge L/XL?
In general the FCI mezzanine board capability makes me wonder about (unsupported?) configs such as
a Challenge XL with a third card cage from an Onyx rack with a couple of InfiniteReality gfx heads
in it or other weird and unusual configs for these very flexible and interesting beasts.
Cheers,
Simon
--
Simon Pigot si...@dpiwe.tas.gov.au
GIS Unit, Parks and Wildlife Service,
Level 6, 134 Macquarie St, Ph: +61 3 62 338357
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 7001 Fax: +61 3 62 332744
tom_...@my-deja.com
iv...@melbourne.sgi.com (Ivan Rayner) wrote:
> tom_...@my-deja.com <tom_...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> > Or just search for 'man serial' to get the ASCII picture.
>
> Might be a chicken-and-egg problem here... :)
Naw, you can get your man pages at techpubs.sgi.com too.
OK, maybe a little overkill for the job, but if you've got a browser
you're set.
Techpubs is awesome.